Gardening and Gardens

What's Blooming: November

2011-11-15T06:00:00.000-05:00

It's been unseasonably warm the past few weeks and the fall foliage is loving it. Everything is in peak color right now. Here are some of the great looking trees in the neighborhood:

As for my pots and containers - not much is blooming anymore, save for a few hardy mums. But the foliage on the hostas and the ferns still look attractive:

And this poor container - it was planed with lovely fall colored pansies. But the silly squirrels keep digging in the soil thinking they have buried some food treasure. I had been dutiful about putting down "squirrel-be-gone" repellent, but at this point, I've given up trying to keep them away. Ah well!

Spooky Halloween Plants

2011-10-24T22:00:00.000-04:00

Halloween is just around the corner and with a little imagination, everything can look a little spooky these days...

An Evil Eye?

(or just Rubeckia hirta)

Dried up brains?

(or just a fungus)

Long, sticky fingers of a witch?

(or just an ornamental pepper)

Hairy arms reaching out to strangle?

(or just an old vine on a tree trunk)

A magic electricity ball?

(or just pine needles)

Pimpled, decaying flesh?

(or fungus on a tree stump)

Sweat on the green monster's face?

(or morning dew on a leaf)

Bloody fingers?

(or just Amaranthus)

Skeletal fingers, reaching out to grab you?

Maybe.

Mwahahaha! Happy Halloween!

A Spooky Halloween Tree

2011-10-13T16:23:00.003-04:00

One of the spookiest trees out there, in my humble opinion, is the Black Locust tree (Robinia pseudoacacia).

It's trunk is covered in thick, deep furrows (grooves) making it look sinister to the touch.

In addition, the branches are gnarled and twisted, which can create an eerie silhouette on a leafless, winter evening.

The Black Locust tree can grow to a height of 50 feet if given the right amount of space.

A tree that large is too big for the inside of my house.

So instead, we decided to make our own spooky looking tree, complete with spiders and monsters:

I found some twigs in my yard and had my children paint them black. I stuck them into a pumpkin container filled with rocks and covered the base with artificial black leaves.
Then we created monster heads - some have five eyes, some only have one! The kids had a great time creating different monster variations. We added a few store bought spiders and cats to the tree as a finishing touch. I think it looks rather spooky, don't you?

Fall Gardens Blooming with Color

2011-09-19T08:52:00.000-04:00

Even though autumn doesn't officially start for another few days, it certainly feels like it outside. The air is cool and crisp and the sun still feels warm - a perfect day for a fall festival! The teaching gardens at Farmingdale State College are always beautiful and lush. But the colors I saw today at their annual fall festival were just stunning. Have a look:

Bloedel Reserve, Seattle WA

2011-08-21T15:02:00.000-04:00

The last stop on the Garden Blogger's Seattle Fling tour was to the Bloedel Reserve on Bainbridge Island, just east of Seattle, across the Puget Sound. The private and public gardens we visited in Seattle were beautiful but the Bloedel was truly spectacular.

The Reserve's 150 acres were filled with quiet trails through woodlands and landscaped gardens, including a Japanese Garden, a Moss Garden and Reflection Pool.

The Bloedel Reserve was once the home of Prentice Bloedel and his wife, Virginia, who resided on the property from 1951 until 1986. He was deeply interested in the relationship between people and the natural world, and the power of landscape to evoke emotions ranging from tranquility to exhilaration. You can read more about the Bloedel Reserve here.

True to Seattle's reputation, it rained the entire day we were at Bloedel, but somehow the wet and the mist added to the beauty of the landscape.

My favorite was the Moss Garden area. Everywhere I looked, moss covered the ground, tree trunks, fallen branches and stones. Ferns and low growing plants filled in the other areas:

The Japanese Garden was serene and beautifully manicured:

The Glen was filled with Birch trees, Rhododendrons and a lovely pond:

Every twist and turn within the Bloedel Reserve was truly breathtaking and magical. If you are ever in the neighborhood, I highly recommend it!

What's Blooming: August

2011-08-15T07:43:00.000-04:00

It's Garden Bloggers Bloom Day! Here's what's growing and blooming in my garden this month.

It's been a rainy past few days here in western Long Island, but at least I got to photograph a few of my plants while the sun was still shining.

The Black-eyed Susan's have finally bloomed. I just love their cheery yellow with the dark center.

The purple Salvia has really done well in these boxes and their darkness is a nice contrast to the lemon-yellow Zinnias.

Every time I look at these impatiens, I am still in awe that these were from cuttings I made. Look how full and lush they are!

The Morning Glory vines have really taken off and trying to grab hold of anything they can climb on. I love the shade it provides from inside the house and the way it looks from the outside. I planted a mix of seeds, so the flower colors range from a deep purple to pink to a deep blue. So pretty.

The ferns in the shady area of my backyard are also doing well (as you can see from the fertile fronds on the fern below). But even happier is the Tradescantia zebrina creeping along the grass below the container.

The Caladiums look great, although the spotted pink/green ones are competing a bit with the white Impatiens. Still, they look full and lush and add a spot of color under that maple tree.

The pink Begonias I transplanted from a full shade spot are much happier now in this partial shade spot.

Next year I must remind myself to only plant Coleus in this container. I love the foliage color, but it completely choked out the other plants I had planted with it. Frankly, I don't really mind because it looks so healthy, but still...

I've noticed some garden nurseries advertising garden mums already. Much too early for me - I'm hoping my garden continues to look good through the month of September. See you next month!

Many thanks to Carol over at May Dreams Gardens for hosting the monthly Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day.

Seattle's Public Gardens

2011-08-09T21:23:00.000-04:00

In my last post, I showcased some of the private gardens I visited while attending the 2011 Garden Bloggers Fling in Seattle, WA. A nice contrast to these was some of the great public gardens, arboretums and parks in the Seattle area. Here are some of the highlights I enjoyed:

Dunn Gardens
Dunn Gardens is a beautiful spot and currently listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Located in Seattle's Broadview neighborhood, it was once the summer home of Arthur Dunn and was originally landscaped by the Olmsted Brothers in 1915.

The Olmsted firm, established in 1858 by Frederick Law Olmsted (1822-1903), designed some of the most notable urban parks in the United States, including Central Park in New York City, the capitol grounds in Washington D.C., and Boston Commons.

The Olmsted Brothers liked to work with the natural topography of the site in their designs, and tried to incorporate as much of the native vegetation and surrounding landscape as possible. A characteristic Olmsted plan included wide, curving paths that connected a series of individual park-like settings, each reflecting the characteristics of its individual site. The parks often featured broad lawns, punctuated by stands of native trees and shrubs.

Dunn Gardens is the only Olmsted residential garden regularly open to the public in Washington state.

The weeping beech tree looks like a natural waterfall into the pond below.

Ferns growing above a moss-covered bed.

Beautiful mix of plants all within the same color scheme.

I love the texture combinations of these plants in the above and below photos.

Some beautiful plants in the curator's garden.

Miller Library and Gardens
Housed at the University of Washington's Center for Urban Horticulture, the Miller Library
is the first and only library in the Seattle area dedicated to gardening and horticulture. Gardeners, horticulturists and naturalists could all find something of interest here, and better yet, they would be able to borrow from the collection like a regular library.

The library has over 15,000 books and more than 700 garden periodicals. There's even a rare-book collection with garden texts dating back to the 17th century.

Outside the libary, are UW Botanic Gardens. Officially referred to as the Soest Herbaceous Display Gardens, it was created to help local gardeners select plants appropriate to a variety of site conditions commonly found in Pacific Northwest urban gardens. This garden features over 280 kinds of herbaceous plants that include perennials, annuals, and bulbs.

The gardens demonstrate how soil and light affect plant growth and health; each of the eight beds have a different mixture of soil type and light exposure.

Bellvue Botanical Gardens
The sun shone brightly on this 36 acre botanical garden which is filled with perennial borders, alpine gardens, dahlia and fuschia gardens, woodlands and meadows - just to name a few.

Perennial gardens

I call this a "fuzzy daisy"

After spending a long day in the sun, the woodland gardens were a welcome retreat for me. The winding path was filled with trees, ferns and silent greenery.

Is this the door to a Hobbit's home??

Olympic Sculpture Park
This 9 acre park is a great way to experience different types of sculpture in an outdoor setting, all while enjoying the incredible views of Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains.

Colorful wildflowers grew along the path in the park.

Naturally, our group of garden enthusiasts were most excited and intrigued by the Nekoum Vivarium (vivarium means "a place of life" in Latin). In 2006, artist Mark Dion had a vision for a vivarium and, with permission from the State, had a Western Hemlock tree moved from Green River Watershed to a special greenhouse at the Olympic Sculpture Park.

Dion has been quoted as describing the vivarium as:
"In some ways, this project is an abomination. We’re taking a tree that is an ecosystem—a dead tree, but a living system—and we are re-contextualizing it and taking it to another site. We’re putting it in a sort of Sleeping Beauty coffin, a greenhouse we’re building around it. And we’re pumping it up with a life support system — an incredibly complex system of air, humidity, water, and soil enhancement — to keep it going. All those things are substituting what nature does—emphasizing how, once that’s gone, it’s incredibly difficult, expensive, and technological to approximate that system—to take this tree and to build the next generation of forests on it. So this piece is in some way perverse. It shows that, despite all of our technology and money, when we destroy a natural system it’s virtually impossible to get it back. In a sense we’re building a failure." (http://atlasobscura.com/place/neukom-vivarium-olympic-sculpture-park)

Seattle Arboretum at South Seattle Community College
The South Seattle Community College Arboretum was established by the College and the SSCC Foundation in 1978 in part as the result of a petition by the Landscape Horticulture Program students for an arboretum to serve as their living laboratory. The 6-acre site is used as a laboratory for plant identification, arboriculture, irrigation, landscape maintenance and landscape construction courses. The Arboretum is also used as an outdoor classroom by professional horticulturists and hobby gardeners.

The final public garden we visited was the Bloedel Reserve on Bainbridge Island. It was such an incredible place and I have so many photos to share. It truly deserves its own post, so stay tuned!

Private Gardens of Seattle

2011-08-01T21:43:00.001-04:00

Last week, I was lucky enough to attend the Garden Bloggers Fling in Seattle, WA. Although many garden bloggers have been meeting in various cities for the past four years, this was my first time attending. It was wonderful to put faces to the blogs I read and to meet garden bloggers from all over the country - some blog for fun, some for professional reasons, some are garden book writers, some are photographers and some have jobs completely unrelated to gardening. But the common thread was the love of gardening, horticulture and landscape design.

Each of the four days was carefully planned by the Fling organizers so that we were able to see both private and public gardens in the Seattle area. I am excited to share with you my photos of the trip, but for the sake of space, I will divide the blog posts into sections. So be sure to come back to read it all!

Here are some of my personal favorites from the private gardens we visited:

Garden #1: Tucker Garden
Shelagh Tucker spent years working to turn her front yard into a xeriscape (a style of landscape design requiring little or no irrigation or other maintenance designed specifically to cope with dry conditions and for water conservation). The sun was shining down on her front yard, decorated with steps, stones and drought tolerant plants.

In contrast, her backyard was lush with plants, grass and trees. My two favorites were a Dahlia and Clematis combination in a small courtyard:

And the pond:

Garden #2: Birrell Garden
Shelagh's next door neighbors, Suzette & Jim Birrell, had an equally impressive garden. A contrast to the xeriscape, Suzette's front yard was lush and overflowing with flowers, shrubs and trees. Every nook and cranny was planted with something beautiful.

The backyard was curved, which gave the small space a comfortable feel. She had an impressive vegetable garden with peas, chard, cabbage, beets and artichokes - just to name a few!

Although we were treated to blue skies on the day of our visit, the owners say the shed was painted bright blue after "the bluest skies you've ever seen" in Seattle. It must be lovely to look at that color on the gray and rainy days, I'm sure!

Garden #3: Epping Garden
The garden of Michelle and Christopher Epping is a past winner of the Pacific Northwest Gardens Competition (3rd place in 2007). Their home is located in Newcastle, just outside of Seattle, and sits on top of a hill. We were again treated with clear, sunny skies and from the house, we could see the Seattle skyline, Olympic Mountains and Lake Washington.

Their garden had many layers and paths winding all around the garden. Here are some of my favorite things from this garden:

Garden #4: Lane Garden
Nearly every inch of Denise Lane's one acre garden in Medina, WA was landscaped with plants, paths and unique garden accents.
We enjoyed lunch on the the stone patio that was recently transformed from a pickle-ball court. The patio now features an outdoor kitchen, gas fire tables and multiple seating areas.

Her gardens had both sunny perennial beds and shady woodlands. I especially loved the beautiful displays of Calla Lilies and Astillbe:

The beautiful glass fiddleheads were created by glassblower Barbara Sanderson.

But my favorite was the "Ruins." Flowers dripped from the pillars above, and below, the water cascaded into the pond over a large stone leaf:

Have a look at this photo below. Can you spot me?

She had 3 long mirrors placed at the back of one flower bed. They provided an interesting perspective!

Garden #5: Edwards Forkner Garden
Lorene Edwards Forkner's garden was filled with eclectic garden accents, many of which she is highlighting in her upcoming book "Handmade Garden Projects: Step-by-Step Instructions for Creative Garden Features, Containers, Lighting and More".

Some of my favorite creations in her garden were these:

Rusted mailbox nestled among the Sisyrinchium striatum

Topiaries living in an old wagon

A terrarium inside an industrial sized light feature

Vintage travel trailer as a place to relax or entertain

Inside the travel trailer

Garden #6: Farley Garden
The last private garden we toured was the home of Kate Farley, a landscape designer, who specializes in garden structure.
I was impressed with the tunnel she created in the front yard from her shrubs.

The potting shed in the backyard was furnished with vintage tools and found objects:

Walking around to the back of the house I was amazed at the show of color from the sunny bed filled with purple Delphinium, pale Phlox, magenta Poppies and orange Astromeria, set off by two purple trellis:

Nestled in the shade, an old tree house surrounds a tree trunk and is now covered in climbing rose branches:

Stay tuned for more from my Garden Blogger's Fling to Seattle - next I'll highlight some of the public gardens we visited!

What's Blooming: July

2011-07-15T07:23:00.000-04:00

It's Garden Bloggers Bloom Day! Here's what's growing and blooming in my garden this month.

What a difference a month can make! Everything has really taken off and is blooming and growing well, despite the heat and humidity we've had recently.

The Morning Glory vines have finally taken off. They started out very vigorous indoors and then when I put them outside, they seemed to take a while to climb and look healthy. But now, they are climbing everywhere and some pink and purple buds are starting to appear.

I honestly thought my flower boxes were going to have some more space this year. But my Impatiens and Geranium cuttings have really done well. I love the deep purple Salvia and the bright yellow Zinnia.

The white Angelonia augustifolia (Summer Snapdragon) looks great here next to the pink Verbena. I love that lone pansy still holding on, despite the heat and sun!

The pink Impatiens are my cutting plants I created this spring. I am so happy with how they have bloomed and flourished! The hot pink Geranium is also a cutting and I think it looks nice peeking out above the purple Pentas.

I overwintered this Geranium plant for the first time this past winter. Last month, I honestly didn't know if it was going to bloom at all. But look at it now! It is like a hot pink explosion of color!

Probably planted too many annual Dahlias in this container, but oh well. They still look good and are enjoying all the sun. The yellow chiffon Superbells are getting crowded out though.

Another plant I overwintered inside was my Croton. What started as a small little desk plant has morphed into this huge beauty outside my front door. Just two weeks ago the new growth appeared and now it looks so healthy and happy.

I repotted the Columbine seedlings to a bigger pot. I doubt they will bloom this year, but there is hope for next year. I see some traces of Columbine leaf miner on some of the leaves. Anyone have experience with those? Simple removal of the leaves should help, right?

I love the color of this trailing Geranium. I looks like its peering through the vines.

The Ferns and Hostas I planted last month seem to be doing well, with the exception of the Cinnamon Fern (Osmunda cinnamomea) on the left. For some reason, it just flopped open and has been like that for the past few weeks. It's being well watered and fertilized. Anyone have any ideas what's wrong with it? I've seen a few new fronds, so I know its ok, but it just doesn't look great. The Ostrich Fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris) on the right, by contrast, is looking very happy and lush.

The Lady-in-Red fern (Athyrium filix-femina var. angustum) is also doing quite well and I like the stark contrast in color and leaf form of the Tradescantia zebrina.

In the backyard, the shade plants are also doing well. Under the maple tree, the Impatiens and Caladium are looking great. The Caladium on the right is not as large as the other two, but I think it's because it gets a little less dappled sun than the others.

This is the Impatiens' mother plant from which I took the cuttings. Blooming profusely.

These cute little pink begonias were in another box mixed with Coleus. But they were getting crowded out by the Coleus, so now they are in their own box and looking much better. I love the delicate pinkness of them.

The other two flower boxes filled with Impatiens and Lobelia have also come into their stride.

Hopefully everything will continue to do well despite the warm summer we are having here on Long Island. Next month I hope to see some Black-Eyed Susans I planted as well as more Morning Glory flowers.

Many thanks to Carol over at May Dreams Gardens for hosting the monthly Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day.

Garden Tour: House #4 Oyster Bay Cove

2011-07-13T08:21:00.001-04:00

The fourth and final house on the Garden Tour along Long Island's Gold Coast was in Oyster Bay Cove, NY. The home on this property was originally built for Thomas F. Young, a colonial merchant in 1863. It was later owned by Charles Lewis Tiffany II, son of Louis Comfort Tiffany. The Colonial Revival home is beautiful in its own right, but the five acres of property are stunning.

The pool garden is green and simple with lawn, a Japanese holly hedge and a natural stonewall dividing it from the cutting garden. Above, the view of the pool from the covered patio.

Overlooking the pool, this patio is the perfect place to relax out of the sun and enjoy a glass of lemonade. Behind the couch and chairs is a small kitchenette, cabinet space and a small table.

To the left of the pool, the stonewall fence is planted with Nepeta (Catmint) and Rosa 'Carefree Wonder.' Behind it is the cutting garden.

The cutting garden (above) is planted with all sorts of beautiful flowers. Currently blooming were magnificent blooms of white Phlox.

Adjacent to the cutting garden is a bountiful vegetable garden. A black walnut tree shades the corner of this garden in the background.

Behind the pool and next to the covered patio was a glass greenhouse for potting and overwintering plants.

Wisteria grew along the sides and top of the pergola by the covered patio. Potted Hibiscus added color.

To the right of the pool, steps lead down to a grassy lower courtyard, framed by brick walls. One length of this garden is planted with heirloom lilacs, underplanted with perennial geraniums and bulbs. This area looked like a great place for some lawn games!

The shade garden is overhung by a large flowering cherry tree. Planted along the brick wall were various Ferns and Hostas. Beyond the wall is another 20 acres of preserved land which contains a stream, pond and wetlands with rare ferns and wild orchids.

Each house on this tour was different but each beautiful in it's own right. I hope you enjoyed coming along with me!

Be sure to check out the other homes on the Garden Tour:
House #1: Centre Island
House #2: Lattingtown
House #3: Bayville

Garden Tour: House #3 Bayville

2011-07-10T21:20:00.005-04:00

Located in Bayville, NY, this garden was the third house on the Garden Tour along Long Island's Gold Coast. In 1974, the homeowner purchased this house and has done much of the gardening herself.

I loved the beds around the trees in the front yard, surrounded by the stonework.

The homeowner always had a soft spot for lilies and over the years has added to her collection. Today, she is a member of the American Day Lily Society and has well over 1,000 varieties of lilies in her garden, each labeled with the name of the lily as well as the year it was hybridized.

The house has the distinction of being an official "Display Garden of the American Hemerocallis Society."

Unfortunately, on the day of the tour, the gardens were not in bloom. She had a large photograph on display for visitors to see her garden in all its glory.

**Update!**
The homeowner invited everyone from the tour back to her house this week to view her lilies in full bloom. And it was worth the wait!

Here is the front garden in full bloom.

Her display of Daylilies and Hydrangeas were truly spectacular.

The backyard was a pie-shape and her lilies filled in every spot.

So many different colors and varieties. It was easy to spend over an hour just wandering through the gardens, looking at the different shapes and petals and also learning the names.

Here were three of my favorites:

It was so wonderful for the homeowner to invite us all back to her house to see the lilies in bloom. It's amazing what a difference few weeks can make!

Do you have any daylilies? Which are your favorite?

Be sure to check out the other homes on the Garden Tour:
House #1: Centre Island
House #2: Lattingtown
House #4: Oyster Bay Cove

Garden Tour: House #2 Lattingtown

2011-07-05T20:43:00.005-04:00

The second house on the Garden Tour along Long Island's Gold Coast was in Lattingtown, NY. The four acres of property at this house allowed for various types of gardens, from full sun to full shade.

The real unique feature of this property was the water view. As soon as we entered the backyard, that was the first place my eye went to - sweeping green lawn, cascading downward to the bay in the distance.

The owners kept most of the gardens off to the side with an occasional accent in the lawn like the water fountain, the rose buses or even the artificial sheep grazing on grass.

This garden was in full sun and ran along the side of the lawn. It was filled with foxglove, lilies and purple loosestrife.

The meandering path leading down to the pool was as delightful as the accompanying garden. The garden was filled with lots of lilies, catmint, and coreopsis (just to name a few). They apparently have some rabbits who like to nibble on the plants, hence the wire fencing along the plant bases. Along the pool were various rose bushes in mostly pinks and whites.

The gardens were pretty but it was the water view that made this property so spectacular!

Be sure to check out the other homes on the Garden Tour:
House #1: Centre Island
House #3: Bayville
House # 4: Oyster Bay Cove

Garden Tour: House #1 Centre Island

2011-07-01T07:30:00.012-04:00

A few weeks ago, I attended a garden tour through four homes in the Oyster Bay area. Oyster Bay is located along Long Island's northern shore, bordering the Long Island Sound. Traditionally, this region has been the most affluent on Long Island, which has earned it the nickname "the Gold Coast." My two year old daughter and I saw many beautiful gardens, manicured lawns and breathtaking views on this tour.

The first home was located in Centre Island, NY. Centre Island is a 605 acre peninsula with over four miles of coast line. The house sits on a six-acre plot of land with spectacular views of the harbor. The owner has lived there for 30 years and as such, her gardens are extensive and stunning. She is passionate about flower gardening and flower arranging and has planned her garden so she can have things to work with all year round.

Upon entering the backyard, we were greeted with a delightful table setting. A gorgeous flower arrangement hung from a tree limb above, inviting the visitor to sit and enjoy the peacefulness in the shade.

The back of the house, facing the water.

The view of the harbor and personal dock from the backyard.

A covered but open outdoor patio was filled furniture suitable for dining or simply relaxing. The ceiling was covered with Ivy and the outer walls were draped with Wisteria.

Behind the guest house on the right, she had a workshop room, complete with a counter, refrigerator and various tools for flower arranging and potting.

Outside the guest house was the kitchen garden filled with all sorts of vegetables, herbs and edible flowers.

Following the path leading away from the kitchen garden, I walked through a rose-covered archway. The scent was heavenly!

The path led to the pool, where the owner had filled gardens on either sides of the pool with a gorgeous mix of perennials.

Behind the pool, nestled among the trees in the yard was this fantastic tree house. It had a winding staircase up to the "house" where one could look at the main house on one side and the harbor on the other.

For those less inclined to have lunch in the tree house, there was a beautiful gazebo at the edge of the property, overlooking the water. The property sloped down just beyond the gazebo to a small beach below.

The pond was indeed a highlight. The owner had created a small "stream" that ran down into it, providing a hypnotic trickling sound. The owner told me she had a Blue Heron visit that morning, but usually only enjoys watching the koi swimming below the water and the frogs sunning themselves on the rocks.

Beyond the pond was a woodland walk filled with Ferns, Hostas and other shade loving plants. She had bird baths and bird houses placed all along the path.

Looping back to the main house from the woodland walk, there was a small glass house that fit only a few sitting chairs, a table with chairs and a hot tub. I could imagine sitting in here in the winter, admiring the snow covered trees and grounds, but being warmed by the sun (of the hot tub!).

Along the back of the house was another covered outdoor patio, again beautifully and naturally decorated with ivy on the ceiling.

View of the backyard from the glass house.

A truly stunning spot to visit. We spent well over an hour there looking through each nook and cranny of the yard and its gardens. What a treasure to be able to visit!

Check out the other gardens on the tour:
House #2: Lattingtown
House #3: Bayville
House #4: Oyster Bay Cove

Planting with a Purpose: Pharmaceutical Plants

2011-06-24T21:22:00.000-04:00

On a recent trip to Washington D.C., I happened to walk by the American Pharmacists Association headquarters building. I was intrigued by the plants growing outside the building so I stopped to take a closer look. And then I realized it... they were planted with a purpose. All these plants have medicinal and healing properties.

From the sidewalk, I could see Yarrow (Achillea), Yucca, Coneflower (Echinacea), St. John's Wort (Hypericum), Yew (Taxus) and Monk's Pepper (Vitex).

Yarrow (Achillea) is said to be named after the Greek mythical figure Achilles, who used it to stop the bleeding wounds of his soldiers. Today, Yarrow is believed to help with digestion. The plant contains flavonoids which increase saliva and stomach acid. It's also good for treating and managing the symptoms of colds, flu and fever.

Yucca leaves and roots are used for arthritis pain relief and joint inflammation.

Coneflower (Echinachea) is probably one of the most popular herbs in America today. Echinachea comes from the Greek word "echinos" which means hedgehog, no doubt referring to the prickly seed head of the flower. Echinachea is used to help reduce symptoms of the flu and common cold. Many herbalists recommend it to help boost the immune system and help the body fight infections.

St. John's Wort (Hypericum) is another herb that had been used by the ancient Greeks. Recent studies have shown that St. John's Wort may be effective in treating mild depression. In addition, it has also been used topically as an antiseptic, helping heal wounds and burns.

Yew (Taxus) leaves, bark and seeds are highly toxic. However, studies have shown that the bark contains the substance "taxol" which has been used to fight cancer.

Monk's Pepper or Chasteberry (Vitex) got it's name from the belief in medieval times that potions made from the berries helped monks maintain their vows of chastity by quelling their libido. Today, it is generally used to treat symptoms of PMS such as cramps, headaches, irritability, water retention, etc. and help the woman's body regain a balance of hormones.

What a great way to tie in the garden plants to the theme/purpose of the association's headquarter building. What looked like a rather ho-hum building along my route to some of the bigger known monuments in the city, became one of the coolest finds of my day.

My Sweet, Sweet Peas

2011-06-20T21:15:00.000-04:00

I am so pleased with my sweet peas this year. I planted them along with string beans and both have been climbing a triangle shaped trellis I put together in a container. The string beans have a few buds on it and soon will be teeming with veggies, but right now the real joy is seeing the different colored flowers of the sweet peas popping up everywhere.

I bought a pack of seeds in the early spring that promised a mix of colors. So far, it hasn't disappointed me yet!

But even better than the sweet blossoms is the sweet fragrance that comes from them. I clipped a few and brought them inside for a small vase. Even just this small cluster filled the room with a wonderful scent!

I'll keep bringing these in as long as I can because the more you remove the flowers from the sweet pea vine, the more blossoms it will produce. Yeah to that!

What's Blooming: June

2011-06-15T06:42:00.000-04:00

It's Garden Bloggers Bloom Day! Here's what's growing and blooming in my garden this month.

All my containers are starting to bloom and fill in. The house faces east and therefore, the front gets the most sun in the morning and midday. Here is a look at what the front porch area looks like:

A close up on the flower boxes and containers:

The main box is planted with impatiens and geraniums (both from cuttings), morning glories, white bacopa, purple saliva, black eyed susan, yellow zinnia and sweet william.

Below the box are two pots containing flat leaf parsley and columbine seedlings. To the right of the box are perennial daisies just starting to bloom and beneath that is the geranium plant I overwintered and took cuttings from this spring. It has just started to bloom and produce new growth.

The left box is filled with pansies (still holding on!), impatiens and geraniums, pink pentas, purple saliva, lobelia, morning glory vines, lychnis and white salvia.

The middle box is filled with white Angelonia augustifolia, pink verbena, campanula, pansy, purple salvia and a wild flower seed mix (still not sure what will bloom from these seeds). A small pot of basil I grew from seeds sits below the flower box.

On the railing, I filled this box with small annual dahlias and yellow chiffon superbells.

I placed a strawberry pot filled with pansies, mint and strawberries (both of which came back on their own this year) on top of a tree trunk log for some height.

The rose bush is blooming nicely (a Valentine's gift from my honey two years ago). String beans and sweat peas are climbing vigorously on the teepee - I spotted my first sweet pea flower today! Sunflowers are growing in the container on the steps.

In April, I posted about my new Raspberry shrub. I honestly didn't know if it would be happy in a container, but so far it has been doing great. My kids and I even ate a few berries from it today!

Here's what's going on in the backyard, which gets part shade/dappled sun only in the afternoon:

Double impatiens, coleus, white impatiens and lobelia

This box still has yet to fill in, but when it does, the impatiens and lobelia together will look nice I think.

Two more impatiens created by cuttings this year, planted here with more lobelia

My newest addition this year - 6 large containers filled with 2 Ostrich ferns, 1 Cinnamon fern and 2 different varieties of hosta. I'm hoping the ferns will grow tall and act as a screen from the park path behind my house.

Beneath the maple tree, I have 3 containers each filled with Caladium. Impatiens fill in the outside boxes, while Lysimachia fills in the middle one. And how cute is my stone owl?!

Along the back fence, under the maple tree, I placed a long flower box and filled it with lime colored coleus and pink begonias. It adds a little bit of color to a very shady spot. I transplanted the ivy along the ground last fall and am happy to see new growth on it this year.

And that's it. By next month, I'm hoping the Morning Glory vines will have reached new heights, the string beans will be full of beans and the ferns grown taller. Be sure to come back and check in with me!

Many thanks to Carol over at May Dreams Gardens for hosting the monthly Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day.

Mohonk Mountain House - Part 2

2011-06-11T08:27:00.000-04:00

As I mentioned in my previous post, Mohonk Mountain House Part 1, the first part of my trip was covered in a dense fog. But by the middle of the second day, the clouds parted, sun shone through and blue skies took over.

Mohonk means "lake in the sky" and the Victorian castle is located along Lake Mohonk where rock formations from the Shawangunk Ridge frame the 266-room hotel.

According to John Van Etten, the grounds superintendent for the Mohonk Mountain House, the "400-acre estate's natural beauty is emphasized by its many specialtygardens. The landscape features 15 acres of flower gardens, a 3-acre showgarden, a memorial rose garden, rock gardens, perennial borders, threecutting gardens, herb gardens, sunken gardens, an aquatic area and anornamental-grass garden."

I especially loved the fern trail which had about 30 varieties of ferns surrounding a winding path.

And nestled among the ferns, I even found a few Jack-in-the-Pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum) plants. I just find these plants so fascinating with the leaf hood covering the spathe in the center:

Now that the fog had lifted, I was able to see the alliums and violas planted together in the flower beds. I loved the color and texture combinations.

After Memorial Day, the flower beds are filled with annuals and tropicals grown in the on-site greenhouse. I am looking forward to going back and visiting at different times of the year to see what is blooming. You can follow along with the gardens and all that's blooming at the Mohonk Gardens on their blog: http://gardeningatmohonk.blogspot.com/

Mohonk Mountain House is just 6 miles west of New Paltz, NY and the NY Thruway, 80 miles from Albany International Airport and 90 minutes from Manhattan.

Mohonk Mountain House - Part 1

2011-06-06T14:42:00.000-04:00

The Mohonk Mountain House is located in the Catskills region of New York. In 1869, Albert Smiley purchased 280 acres of land and a ten-room inn at the heart of a 26,000-acre natural area in the Shawangunk Mountains. Smiley envisioned a peaceful retreat where people could enjoy the beauty of nature in a spectacular setting. What started as a ten room inn and tavern is now a historic New York hotel that can accommodate up to 500 guests.

The gardens are very well known and over the years, have attracted amateur and professional gardeners who come to attend horticultural lectures, demonstrations and workshops. To quote from The Story of Mohonk, "Gardening with Mr. Smiley was dangerously near a passion." Over the years, succeeding generations of the Smiley family have tried to live up to his gardening standards. The gardens reflect the influence of the French and Italian, but mostly English styles of landscaping of the mid-19th century. On the first few days I was there, every inch of the property was covered with a thick, dense fog. It was beautiful and mysterious at the same time.

The tulips were just about finishing up for the season and the moisture from the fog clung to their petals.

The formal gardens lie between the Mountain House and the surrounding woodlands. Visitors are encouraged to wander through the beds and admire what is blooming. Here, the alliums were towering over the pansies. Beyond this bed were others, waiting to be planted with summer blooming annuals and tropicals.

266 arborvitae make up this fantastic maze. I'll admit, the fog made it even more spooky to me...

A beautiful young cooper beech stood alone in the fog. The property has several fine specimens of copper, weeping and cut-leaf beech trees.

After a day and a half of fog, the sun did make an appearance and transformed everything into a glowing sight of color, shadows and majesty. Stay tuned for my post on Part 2 of my trip to Mohonk Mountain House.

Wordless Wednesday: Stumped

2011-06-01T07:00:00.001-04:00

Sometimes even tree stump and fungi can be beautiful

Colorful Containers

2011-05-27T08:01:00.000-04:00

Outside a restaurant that's tucked away between shops, the outdoor seating area is surrounded by these big, gorgeous containers:

Each large, square container was filled with a fully blooming Scotch Broom (Cytisus scoparius) in the center, surrounded by Pansies (Viola), Sweet Alyssum (Lobularia maritima), Ageratum (Ageratum houstonianum) and Summer Snapdragon (Angelonia augustifolia).

Certainly once the Scotch Broom is finished blooming, it won't look quite as spectacular. Hopefully, someone will replace it with something equally as impressive!

Not all Hostas are Created Equal

2011-05-23T07:12:00.000-04:00

For a long time, I didn't like Hostas. But then again, I was only familiar with Hosta lancifolia and it's little purple flower spikes above skinny, medium green leaves. It seemed to be in everyone's garden, along the side of buildings and even along the road as if they were a common wildflower.

But somewhere along the way, I was introduced to new varieties of Hostas and my opinion began to change. I saw plants with big leaves, small leaves, white flowers and so many different leaf colors: blue-gray, lime, green/green variegation, green/white variegation - just to name a few.

Now, I'm a converted fan. I love seeing the plant emerge from the ground in the spring. The tightly rolled leaves standing straight and tall until they finally burst open and spread their wings, I mean leaves. And then, their mound of color and texture begins to brighten even the shadiest spot.

When it rains, the water droplets hang onto the leaf a bit longer than necessary to create an even more beautiful effect.

I think they look great when different plant varieties are clustered together in a woodland area of the garden. But no matter how you have them planted or displayed, they are truly a treasure to the garden.

Weeds Are My Friends

2011-05-20T13:11:00.000-04:00

It's been raining here all week. I can't remember the last time it has rained five consecutive days in a row. And not just a little drizzle, I'm talking about full fledged downpours!
So needless to say, by yesterday, I was feeling down in the dumps. The weather certainly has a big impact on my mood and state of mind.

In between showers, I passed these Poppy buds in a neighbor's yard. I love the fuzziness of the stem and bud, but also how their heads droop downward. Their "droopy" state was sort of symbolic to how I was feeling. I couldn't help but smile when I passed them. Hopefully, in a few days, the sun will come out, the Poppy's bright orange flower will be on display and I will be in a much better mood!

The other thing that helped me feel better yesterday was weeding. The soil was so wet, it was very easy to weed the vegetable garden. The repetitive nature of the weeding, coupled with the rich smell of the wet earth was simply meditative and healing for me. I had only 30 minutes before I needed to rush off to do something else, but those 30 minutes were pure bliss for me. So yes, weeds may not be wanted in the garden, but at the end of the day, they sometimes can be like good friends, helping me through a tough day.

Why Lilacs Don't Bloom

2011-05-16T09:27:00.000-04:00

Courtesy of Rob's Plants

Around there, the Lilacs (Syringa vulgaris) are in full bloom. Just a short walk outside and their perfumed scent hits you before your eyes can even find them. But what does it mean if the shrub doesn't bloom? I was asked this question last weekend by a friend. Last year she pruned it serverely after it flowered, with the hopes of rejuvenating it so it would be overflowing with blooms the following spring. However, this year, not one bloom appeared.

There are a few reasons I can think of as to why a Lilac shrub wouldn''t bloom:

1. Pruning
New flower buds are formed soon after the current year's blooms die back. To ensure abundant flowering the next year, spent blossoms should be cut off and the flowering stem should be pruned back to a set of leaves. Waiting too late to prune will remove the new buds that have formed for the following year.

2. Immaturity
Most varieties of Lilacs need three to four years to grow and develop before they produce their first blooms.

3. Soil pH
Lilacs prefer sweet soils (slightly acid to alkaline) with a pH between 6.0 and 7.0. If the soil is too acidic (aka "sour"), it should be amended with lime to help sweeten it a bit.
Never assume your pH - have it tested by your local garden center or Cooperative Extension Service before trying to alter it.

4. Fertilizer
In general, Lilacs don't need much fertilizer, but if you feel it is needed, Cornell University recommends a 5-10-10 (5% Nitrogen, 10% Phosphorus, 10% Potassium). Using the wrong type of fertilizer can be a problem. Fertilizers with higher Phosphorus will encourage flowering on plants and vegetables. Fertilizers with higher Nitrogen will help produce green leaves, but will hinder blooming. Apply fertilizer to the planting area in the spring, as new growth is beginning.

5. Sunlight
Lilacs need full sun. If the shrub is in partial sun or shade, it will not bloom well.

6. Water
Lilacs need do not like wet feet, so be sure they are not over-watered. They do best in soil that is well drained.

7. Transplant shock
If the plant was moved since the last blooming period, it may take a year for it to recover and be happy.

Did you know?
The story of Lilac, according to Greek mythology, begins with a beautiful nymph named Syringa (Lilac's botanical name). Captivated by her beauty, Pan, the god of the forests and fields, chased Syringa through the forest. Frightened by Pan's affections, Syringa escaped him by turning herself into an aromatic bush - the flower we now refer to as lilac!

The Three Sisters

2011-05-10T22:50:00.000-04:00

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I'm on the Garden Committee at my son's elementary school and this week we worked with the 4th grade classes planting the "Three Sisters" - corn, beans and squash.

The Native Americans have passed down the legend of the Three Sisters, as well as the knowledge of growing, using and preserving the crops through generations.

The legend describes three maidens (corn, beans and squash) who, despite being very different, love each other and thrive when they are near each other. For this reason, the Native Americans planted these three crops together.

The corn provides a natural pole for the bean vines to climb. The beans fix nitrogen on their roots, improving the overall fertility of the soil. The squash leaves provide shade for the soil, deterring weeds and preventing loss of soil moisture.

Image from Park Seed Co

Nutritionally, this combination also complement each other. The corn provides carbohydrates, the beans provide protein, and the squash provides vitamins and healthy oils.

Before the children began the project we read the legend to them so they would understand its history as well as the idea of companion planting. For our project, we also added a fish head to the soil as fertilizer. Personally, I think the children enjoyed handling the fish head the best, but the whole project seemed to be a hit!

First they dug a deep hole, into which they placed the fish head. After covering the head with soil, they continued to build a mound of soil about 12-15 inches high. At the top of the mound, they planted a few corn seeds. Then they built a tee-pee from three stakes and placed it over the mound. This will help the beans climb to the corn. Bean seeds were planted around the middle ring of the mound. Finally, at the base of the mound, they planted various types of squash seeds.

There are four classes and each class planted two mounds of the Three Sisters. I can't wait to see how they progress over the next few weeks!

If you would like to read a version of the Three Sisters legend, head on over to the The Bird Clan of Alabama's site.

100,000 Bulbs in Bloom!

2011-05-04T08:54:00.000-04:00

100,000 bulbs, over 500 varieties in bloom. With beautifully landscaped grounds and so many things blooming, this garden reminded me of Keukenhof in Lisse, Holland. But it was actually the private home of my friend Deb Van Bourgondien on Long Island. Debbie is the executive vice president of Van Bourgondien and Sons, which sells bulbs via its Van Bourgondien catalog and website dutchbulbs.com.

Every fall she plants more and more bulbs on her property - a task I'm sure her neighbors thank her for every spring.

Pulling into the driveway I was met with a sea of yellow daffodils, beds of tulips and two enormous cedar trees.

The side bed was anchored by two gorgeous Saucer Magnolia trees (Magnolia x Soulangiana) in full bloom.

Because of all the different varieties, the bloom times were different. Each bed had some tulips or daffodils that were blooming, some that were still in bud and others that had just finished.

Everywhere I walked, something new was blooming and under the foliage of the bulbs, I could see the new stalks of late spring/early summer blooming perennials, like Hostas and Peonies, peeking through the soil.

I was so happy to have explored her garden and am in awe at the amount of work that has been put into it. I can't wait to go back again soon to see what the garden looks like in the summer!

Sweet Little Buttercup... or is it?

2011-05-01T08:31:00.000-04:00

Across many lawns and under trees these days I see a cute little yellow flower. Sometimes there is a whole blanket of them covering a large patch of grass. It looks so pretty - a sea of yellow on a spring day!

It's hard not to be seduced by this cute little flower putting on such a spring show, but it can be very invasive! It's called Fig Buttercup or Lesser Celendine (Ranunculus ficaria).

Fig Buttercup has a basal rosette of dark green, shiny, heart shaped leaves and the flowers are a bright yellow with eight petals, borne singly on thin stalks that rise above the leaves.

Fig Buttercup may be confused with Marsh Marigold (Caltha palustris) which bear a similar resemblance. However, Marsh Marigold has glossy, rounded leaves with 5-9 petaled flowers on stalks that are 8in or more in height. It does not produce tubers or bulblets like Fig Buttercup and therefore, does not form a continuous carpet of growth.

Locally, it turns to brown mush in June before going totally dormant for the season. So while it may be tempting to add this to your garden, it could easily take over. If you really must have it, it's best to keep it where it can be naturalized and allowed to spread freely.

Scilla vs Chionodoxa

2011-04-25T11:00:00.000-04:00

I love seeing the little blue flowers that appear in the spring. They often appear naturalized in the lawn or showing up in the garden bed among the daffodils and hyacinths. But which are they - Scilla or Chionodoxa?

The main difference is the direction the flower head faces.
Scilla have electric blue flowers that are bell-like, drooping downward.

It's six blue petals surround stamens that have thread-like filaments and are not clustered together. Scilla can grow 3-6 inches high and each bulb produces 3-4 stems with medium, strap-like leaves. It's very tough and cold hardy that easily naturalizes by bulb offshoots and self-seeding.

Chionodoxa is commonly called Glory-of-the-Snow because it is among the first bulbs to bloom in the spring. Each bulb produces six petaled, soft blue flowers with white centers that face upward and are surrounded by narrow, basal leaves.

If you look closely, you'll notice the stamens have very flattened white filaments arranged close together, giving the appearance of a central white cone. The plant naturalizes easily by bulb offsets and self seeding.

Both these bulbs are planted in the fall and during the late winter/early spring months begin to bloom. They may be small, I think they are both adorable and beautiful!

Earth Day from a Child's Perspective

2011-04-22T13:23:00.000-04:00

Happy Earth Day! To celebrate the day, my town is holding a "Clean Up Main Street" event next weekend. To promote the event, they asked children to create posters using whatever design and text they seemed fit. I just spent the last hour walking through town admiring all the posters with my children, while my 5 year old took pictures of them. He learned about Earth Day in his kindergarten class and was telling me how important it was to pick up garbage, recycle and turn off lights when we are not in the room. It was too cute but I love that he's being taught the importance of keeping our earth green at such a young age.

So in honor of Earth Day, here are few of the posters we found in town. I hope they inspire and delight you as much as they did us.

Ornamental Oregano

2011-04-19T13:06:00.000-04:00

Oregano 'Kent Beauty' (Origanum rotundifolium) is an ornamental oregano plant with pretty pink bracts that look somewhat like hop (Humulus) and heart-shaped blue-green leaves.

To maintain the pink flowers, provide bright light and cool night temperatures, if possible. Once established, it is cold hardy.

Kent Beauty enjoys temperatures 55-70°F but will tolerate 20-80°F. Prefers well to fast-draining soil that is kept evenly moist (never soggy). Bright light will maintain pink color but direct afternoon sun may be too hot.

Because of it's cascading fashion, Kent Beauty is lovely in a hanging basket, window box, container or over rock ledges.

In late fall, it's recommended to cut the plants to the ground. The bracts can be cut anytime of year and dried to use in floral arrangements.

Have you grown this plant with success (or failure)? I think its so lovely and unique - I'm going to try it in a few different locations this year.

Daffodils: Symbols of spring and rebirth

2011-04-16T10:00:00.000-04:00

Daffodils are popping up everywhere around town these days. Some are all yellow, others are white with yellow middles and still others are yellow with orange middles. Some have long, tubular trumpets, others have short, round trumpets. Some plants are tall and slender, others look like miniature versions. To me, all are beautiful.

Many people wonder what the difference is between a daffodil and a narcissus. In a word... nothing. Daffodil is the common name for the plant, while Narcissus is the Latin/botanical name for the genus. Occasionally, I'll hear someone refer to this plant as a jonquil. But jonquil refers to a specific kind of narcissus and not a correct term for the group in general. True jonquils usually have several, very fragrant flower heads, to one stem.

Symbolizing rebirth and new beginnings, the daffodil is virtually synonymous with spring.

I think the miniature varieties are so cute, especially when they are planted with the vibrant blue Scilla siberica.

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day - April 2011

2011-04-15T09:07:00.000-04:00

Thank you to Carol over at May Dreams Gardens for hosting the monthly Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day. I'm very excited to be participating for the first time.

Spring is bursting out all over town here - daffodils, hyacinth, forsythia and weeping cherry trees. Here at my house, I have mostly containers filled with pansies. As the weather continues to warm up, these pansies will be replaced with summer annuals and a few perennials. But for now, here's what's blooming at my house:

The cute little faces of the pansies greet me by the front door

A little green caterpillar has joined the purple pansies

And an orange snail has nestled into the smaller flower box on the patio

A yellow mushroom and little "flying" bugs adorn the container in the corner

The rose bush my hubby gave me as a gift a for Valentine's Day last year has started to show some new growth.

The strawberry plant is showing more and more blooms each day. My kids are so excited for the strawberries to come!

I have eight new impatiens plants I made from cuttings this year. One of them is blooming! I'm so excited these are doing well and can't wait to see them in the garden next month.

Hope you enjoyed the little tour around my yard and I look forward to seeing you again next month for the May Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day!

After reading my post, be sure to head on over to May Dreams Gardens to check out Carol's April Bloom Day post to see what's blooming around the world!

Spring Containers: Think outside the bulb

2011-04-12T13:32:00.000-04:00

Early spring containers can sometimes be a challenge if you don't have or don't want to show off bulb flowers such as daffodils, tulips and hyacinths.

I came across a beautiful alternative the other day:

I just love the juxtaposition of the tall, dark stemmed Pussy Willows, standing tall behind the low, bunchy, pink mounds of the Heath.

The Pussy Willow branches were simply stuck into the ground in clumps behind the Heath.

But, you might ask, am I sure the pink plant here is Heath and not Heather?

Yes, I'm sure. Though, it took me a long time to get it right!

Both Heath and Heather are part of the Ericaceae family which includes plants such as cranberry, blueberry, azalea and rhododendron. The botanical genus for Heath is Erica and Calluna for Heather.

A few of the main differences:

Bloom time: Heath blooms in late winter/early spring; Heather blooms midsummer through the fall
Leaves: Heath has distinctive single needle-like leaves; Heather has compact scale-like leaves

But for the most part, both Heaths and Heathers are nearly identical in form and growth habits, and both are evergreen, low maintenance plants.

The Heath and Pussy Willow combination could be great for a large container or even a bed that hasn't quite burst into bloom yet.

A School Garden

2011-04-08T07:15:00.000-04:00

This is my first year as a volunteer on the Garden Committee at my son's elementary school. The garden was created about eight years ago and continues to be a source of fascination and learning for the children.

We just started cleaning up the beds, pruning and preparing the soil for planting.

The garden consists of four raised beds with another bed going around the perimeter by the fence. It gets mostly full sun except for the southwest corner which gets shade from the tree outside the fence.

The far bed above is typically planted with strawberries on one end and garlic on the other.
The other bed is planted with various vegetables, some sown by seed, others planted by seedling.
There are also three compost piles that are maintained and used in the garden.
.

There are two more beds on the other side of the path that will be planted with vegetables. The children have already planted seeds for radishes and carrots at one end. At the far end of the photo, along the fence, is a raspberry bush. It's one of three that we have in the garden. And just outside the photo, on the right, is the herb garden filled with all sorts of wonderfully smelling plants, even in their dormant state.

Outside the garden entrance and along western wall of the school is the Rose Garden. It's been weeded since this photo was taken (a big job as you can see!) and now we can see the pansies and daffodils that are also sharing the space with the roses. The water feature in the center was created a few years ago by the art teacher and his fifth grade class. Each child designed one of the tiles. I think it is so cool.

Last weekend we weeded more of the beds, tilled the soil and pruned the raspberry shrubs. Once the beds are ready, the children will be invited outside and given seeds or seedlings to plant. It should be fun to watch them get their hands dirty and also learn about growing their own food. I'll keep you updated on the progress!

Bright Color Combinations

2011-04-06T08:04:00.003-04:00

Main Street Nursery in Huntington, NY had this display of pansies out front by the road. I had to stop and take a photo because I loved the color combination so much! The deep burgundy really gives some depth to the bed and makes the yellow color pop.

Often in the spring we see only pinks, whites and blues. But I really like the vibrant color scheme they have here - and probably would also look great in the fall!

Be sure to check out the Garden Party happening over at Fishtail Cottage today!

My New Raspberry Shrub

2011-04-04T13:39:00.000-04:00

I am volunteering at my son's school to help work in their school garden. This is my first year both at the garden but also at the school, so I'm curious to see how the garden looks in mid summer when everything we planted in the spring with the children is growing rapidly. It's mainly a garden full of vegetables and fruits with some attractive flowers and herbs planted among them. The garden has three raspberry bushes and because they send up shoots seemingly everywhere, the committee coordinator told me to take a few home.

I know they need a lot of sun, so I put it in a container so I could move it around as the surrounding trees begin to leaf out. I'm hoping it will survive and flourish in a container!

All the shoots have lots of new growth, so it certainly seems promising. Anyone ever grow these in the garden and/or in a container? Any tips you can offer me?

Hicks Nursery Flower & Garden Show

2011-04-01T08:00:00.003-04:00

Hicks Nurseries in Westbury, NY is one of the oldest nursery and garden centers on Long Island. I love going there to just wander around the vast array of indoor and outdoor plants - and maybe pick up a few plants for myself!

In March, they hold their annual Flower and Garden Show to welcome spring and show off what's new for the season. This year's theme was "Outdoor Garden Rooms" and as always, showed some incredible garden designs and plant combinations. Here are just a few:

This Bud's for You

2011-03-30T08:00:00.000-04:00

For this week's Wordless Wednesday, a few spring buds for you -

Seed, Water, Sprout

2011-03-27T20:11:00.000-04:00

With March temperatures in the upper 40s and low 50s around here, I know spring isn't far away. So, let the seed starting begin! I'm using a 72-cell tray that sits on top of a water soaked mat with a drip tray beneath to keep the cells moist.

I've planted:
Sweet Pea, String Bean, Morning Glory, Moonflower, Wildflower mix, Columbine, Basil, Parsley and an annual Black-Eyed Susan mix

My kids are loving watching the sprouts grow taller every day.
As the sprouts grew, I moved some of the vines into bigger pots:

On the left are the Morning Glory plants. On the right near the window are the Moonflower and String Bean plants. In the foreground on the right I am growing geraniums and impatiens by stem cuttings.

Everything is growing pretty well so far, but I still have a while to go before I can plant them outside. Hopefully by then I'll have many strong and healthy plants to enjoy!

Spring Forecast...Snow?!

2011-03-21T14:04:00.000-04:00

Spring officially arrived yesterday and my thoughts had kicked into high gear for the upcoming gardening season. So when I woke up this morning, I expected cool air and warm sunshine. Imagine my surprise when I saw my pansies had been covered in snow!

Ah well. Luckily, I planted the cold hardy types. And as the song goes...the sun will come out tomorrow (I hope)!

Forcing Forsythia

2011-03-20T07:06:00.001-04:00

Happy First Day of Spring!
The weather is warmer, the buds are swelling and every day something new is blooming. I love to bring in Forsythia twigs when they are still in bud and watch with anticipation while the buds swell and then open into full bloom. At first, it looks like a just vase full of twigs, but then it becomes a gorgeous bursting delight:

As you can see, my amaryllis and poinsettia are still holding on too! But I love bringing nature inside and forcing its appearance a little sooner than normal simply for my benefit. Happy Spring!

My Garden Wish List (thanks to the Philadelphia Flower Show)

2011-03-15T13:38:00.001-04:00

Last week I was lucky enough to go to the Philadelphia Flower Show. I had never been and so when I saw a local florist was organizing a bus trip to the show, I jumped at the opportunity. This year's theme was "Springtime in Paris." Floral and landscape displays, award winning plants, miniature scenes using miniature plants, "paintings" that used only pressed flowers and plants and jewelry made from plant parts - the show had it all.

I came away from the show with my wish list of gardens and garden accents for this year:

1. An outdoor kitchen and dining area:

2. A majestic bed to sleep on under the stars:

3. New lawn ornaments to greet friends when they visit:

4. A fern tree:

5. A carousel for my kids to play on:

6. Some new artwork:

"Painting" made of pressed plants and flowers

7. A new use for my old car:

8. A gorgeous, handmade necklace:

Made only from: Oleander seed pod, Maple pods, Beautyberry, Eucalyptus seeds, Blackberry Lily, Pea, Navy Bean, Lentil, Barley, Crinkle Leaf Plant, Oregano, Mustard seeds, Rush

9. A garden house for visiting fairies:

10. A bigger window box:

11. A landing strip for my model airplane:

And maybe after I've finished installing all these things, I'll enjoy a lovely piece of cake:

Ah, la joie de vivre!

Epiphytes

2011-03-04T16:56:00.000-05:00

I just came back from a week in sunny Florida. It was great to be somewhere where the flowers are blooming and the grass is green! I am always fascinated seeing plants grow in the landscape there that I would normally consider tropical or indoor plants here on Long Island. But the group of plants that fascinate me the most are the epiphytes.

Epiphytes (aka "air plants") are plants that grow on other plants. The word epiphyte comes from the Greek 'epi' (meaning 'upon') and 'phyton' (meaning 'plant'). They are not rooted in the soil - they typically grow above the ground surface using another plant or object for support. They are not parasitic, only using the host plant or structure for support and they gather moisture and nutrients from the air and rain.

Some epiphytes include Bromeliads, Orchids, Lichens and some species of Ferns, Cacti and Succulents.

A prominent native Bromeliad of Florida is Spanish Moss. Everywhere I went, whether walking in the neighborhood or on a boat ride in a state park, I saw Spanish Moss draping the trees. It was gorgeous and mysterious at the same time.

I was so taken with these, I'm half thinking of trying to grow some in a terrarium. Have any of you done this with success? Which plants have you found work best?

Wordless Wednesday: Hints of Spring

2011-03-02T09:20:00.000-05:00

Signs of spring were spotted in a greenhouse display recently! Love the plant and color combinations here.

Camellias at Planting Fields Arboretum

2011-02-18T09:01:00.000-05:00

Planting Fields Arboretum is a State Park located on Long Island, NY. It was once a former Gold Coast estate and is now a public arboretum and historic site. It has 409 acres of greenhouses, rolling lawns, formal gardens, woodland paths and plant collections.

At any time of the year it is a fantastic place to visit. But in February, the real show is the Camellias.

Planting Fields is the home to the Camellia Greenhouse, designed by Lowell & Sargent/Olmsted Bros. in 1917-1922. Today it houses over 300 plants, some of them from the original collection brought over from England in the early 1900's.

Looking around at all the different varieties, I couldn't help but be amazed at this incredible plant and gorgeous flowers.

If you live in the area, Planting Fields is holding a Camellia Weekend festival in a few weeks. Check out their website for more details: http://www.plantingfields.org

Even if you miss the festival, I still recommend you go to the greenhouse to see the Camellias. They certainly brighten up a winter day!

Early Signs of Spring

2011-02-15T20:00:00.005-05:00

I looked out the window this morning and actually saw...the lawn! Yes, after about 2 months of snow cover, I can now see patches of grass. Mind you, it's still matted down and brown, but it's there!

With temperatures flirting with 50 degrees, I was on a hunt to spot some signs of spring. Lo and behold, I found some. Yeah!

Two little daffodil sprouts

More daffodils and tulips

May 15 is considered the last-frost date here. So we still have a while to go, but at least the early spring bulbs are starting to emerge. It made me so happy to see these and now I simply can't wait for ALL the snow to disappear!

A Unique Valentine Flower

2011-02-14T09:00:00.000-05:00

Roses are the quintessential Valentine's Day flower. They are beautiful, romantic and smell heavenly. Second to them, I tend to favor a bouquet of deep red tulips. But a truly unique Valentine's Day flower is Anthurium.

This beautiful heart-shaped flower with the spadix projecting sharply from the center is one of the most popular tropical flowers used by florists. It can last for as much as 28 days in a vase!

The "flower" is actually a waxy leaf called a spathe and the spiky structure coming out of it is the spadix. The spadix is covered in hundreds of the real Anthruium flowers.

Maybe it doesn't hold the same romantic feelings a red rose does, but I am still fascinated by this waxy, deep red, heart-shaped flower. Who can deny it's uniqueness?

No matter what your preference for a Valentine's Day flower, I hope you all have a wonderful day!

Amaryllis in Bloom

2011-02-12T22:44:00.000-05:00

I just returned from a glorious week in Cancun, Mexico. It was a wonderful family vacation and a timely respite from the cold and snow of Long Island, NY. Just before I left, however, I noticed my Amaryllis plants - the ones I have been anxiously waiting to bloom - were just about to burst open. Ugh, what rotten timing!

Here is what I saw two days before my departure:

The beautiful bud, just teasing me now...

I decide to try to force it a little by placing it under some kitchen lights that give off a lot of heat. By the afternoon, I see it is working slowly:

The next day, the flower begins to open:

And the morning of my departure, I finally got to see at least one of the flowers. I didn't know if it would be dead by the time I came back or if I would miss the entire show:

But I didn't! When I got home from my trip - a full week later - I was welcomed with three beautiful blooms on one of the plants:

And the other Amaryllis is just starting to open too!:

This one is an all white variety with a thin red line around the edges of the flower petals. So very pretty and delicate looking:

Thank you, Amaryllis, for welcoming me home with such splendor!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-02-09T08:00:00.001-05:00

Birds Braving the Winter

2011-02-05T07:09:00.000-05:00

It's still really cold here and another storm is on it's way. I haven't seen too many birds this winter - it might be that it's just too cold. However, there are some that have been braving the cold.

The male and female cardinal come to visit nearly every day. Sometimes they eat, other times, they just sit perched on the bird feeder. I can hear their distinct chirps before I see them.

This little fellow is so cute. He hangs out on the tree nearly upside down until he figures it's safe enough to fly over to the bird feeder. I think it's a Nuthatch?

The red-bellied Woodpecker is also a frequent visitor, scaring away any other birds who might be feeding.

Mrs. Cardinal takes her spot on the feeder.

And of course, the squirrel watches the feeders from above, waiting for one of them to mysteriously fall from the tree and dump the seed all over the lawn...which will never happen!

Snow falls on Cedars (and other trees)

2011-02-01T09:00:00.001-05:00

Here on Long Island, we have received a lot of snow recently. Our last storm was particularly wet and so it really hung onto the branches like warm, white chocolate fudge over a mound of ice cream. Here are a few photos from that storm:

I still think the snow is so pretty to watch as it comes down from the sky and especially beautiful when it hugs the trees the next day. But, that being said, I wouldn't mind if spring came just a little early here...

Bamboo in the Snow

2011-01-30T07:25:00.000-05:00

We have bamboo growing in our backyard. It's not the invasive, spreading kind, but the clumping kind. Every once in a while, I get a new shoot somewhere it shouldn't be, but for the most part, it stays contained. I love the screen it provides all year. I love how it moves with the breeze, like it's doing a slow, swaying dance. I love how the snow clings to it in the winter and how the stalks gently bend over in the rain or under the weight of the snow.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-01-26T12:12:00.000-05:00

More snow today on Long Island! It's so light at fluffy, it almost looks like cotton on the plants.

The Real Houseplants of New York

2011-01-19T21:09:00.002-05:00

Winter is a time for resting indoors, but also, for me to truly enjoy my houseplants. Sure, I appreciate them all year round but it's during the cold gray days of winter, that I am so thankful to have them brightening my days. Here are a few that share my house with me. Thankfully they all get along!

I got this Cyclamen just after Christmas and it's still looking good. I love the heart shaped leaves and the way the flower petals shoot upwards. In nature, Cyclamen go dormant during the warmer months and comes into growth during the cooler, winter months. Another great reason to have one of these in the house - flowers in the winter!

I'm actually taking care of this basket of plants for relatives while they are away and am enjoying having it on my bookcase. I love the mixture of textures and even though each plant has seemed to grow beyond the size of the basket, it still looks appealing. The basket is fillled with a Palm, Syngonium and Schefflera.

Behind the basket on the right are three bamboo shoots. I got these years ago and placed them in a vase filled with marbles and water. They seem to be doing really well. I had to prune one of them because it got too leggy, but the new growth is coming in nicely. Apparently three stalks of lucky bamboo brings the three ingredients for a happy life: happiness, wealth and longevity. Bring it on!

This is a Wandering Jew (Tradescantia zebrina). It started as a simple cutting, which I placed in water until the roots began to grow. Then I potted it up and watched it take off. It's got some new growth on it now, so I think it likes the amount of sun it's getting from this southern window this time of year.

This Philodendron (I think it's a Fiddle Leaf?) has an interesting story. I bought this plant for my husband (then boyfriend) about 12 years ago as a housewarming gift for his new apartment. It was much smaller and more upright then. Despite some neglect and under watering at times while living in his apartment, it continued to survive and grow. Then, six years ago, it came back to me and my care. I decided to split the plant into two separate plants. The other one, not seen here, is of the same size and both continue to look great. This plant never ceases to amaze me. It's one of the easiest plants to care for. Recently they have begun to grow aerial roots, which are spilling out over the side of the pot. Does anyone have experience with these and/or suggestions on what to do about them? For now, I'm just leaving them alone.

This Areca palm (Butterfly Palm) was once part of a basket of plants that was given to me as a gift. As soon as it outgrew the basket, I placed it in it's own pot and let it enjoy some space. Every now and then one of the fronds dries out, but I just prune it off and the rest continues to grow and sprout new leaves. I love the wispy nature of this plant.

This Codiaeum variegatum (Croton) also started off as a small plant years ago. I liked it's striking mix of colors. In the summer, I put it outside since it really enjoys heat and humidity. Only one year did I have a problem with spider mites, but thankfully it survived and has been pest free since. It's grown rather large and the stems have become big and woody. I'm always fascinated when I go to Florida or another tropical location and see this plant growing in the landscape!

For the first time, I decided to try to over-winter my Geraniums this year. I loved the hot pink color of the flowers and hated to see them die off from the cold. I have to admit, I am pleasantly surprised the plants are doing so well! But I have to be careful with the watering. Too much water or too little water is not appreciated by this plant. But right now, the leaves are nice and green and even sprouting some new growth!

This is another plant that was taken from that same basket of plants I received as a gift. This is actually one of two Syngonium podophyllum (Arrowhead Plant) I have - both from the same plant basket. They just keep growing and growing and need little attention. Occasionally I will prune off some leaves/stems if it's getting out of control or needs to be reshaped. I recently made new plants from these stem cuttings:

This cutting was taken from one of the two Arrowhead Plants (Syngonium podophyllum) I have in my house. I did this cutting just after Christmas 2010, and it's just now starting to sprout new growth and leaves. I love watching the leaves unfold and open.

These three plants are Chlorophytum comosum 'Variegatum' (Spider Plant with green leaves edged in white), Codiaeum pictum (Croton), and Chlorophytum comosum 'Vittatum' (Spider Plant with white leaves edged in green). The two Spider Plants are the "pups" taken from their mother plants. The Croton was part of a craft my son did for Thanksgiving (it was the turkey's feathers). They are doing ok, but dry out quickly in the clay pots. I need to keep a careful eye on them.

The purple Oxalis on the top is one of my favorites. I love the color, but I especially love how it closes its leaves at night and "goes to sleep" only to open them up again during the daylight hours. Every spring and summer, it bursts with new leaves and lovely purple flowers. But then every winter, when it goes semi-dormant, I am convinced it is going to die on me. It doesn't and after these years, it's still going strong!

The second plant, off to the right, is Asparagus densiflorus 'Sprengeri' or Emerald Fern. This plant also came from a stem cutting and has flourished nicely. I love the texture of the plant, with it's trailing stems and bright green leaves. My only complaint is that it drops tiny, yellow leaves from time to time. A way of shedding I suppose? Looks like mine is due for a haircut soon anyway.

The third plant is another experiment for me. Like the Geraniums mentioned above, I had this Impatiens outside on my patio all summer. This plant has pale pink, double flowers and was so pretty, I didn't want to lose it. So I wondered if it would be ok as a houseplant during the winter. And far, it seems to be thriving. A few new shoots of growth are making me think it's fairly happy. I guess we'll see this summer if it was worth it!

And there you go! A small tour of the plants in my house.

Poinsettias and Han Solo

2011-01-17T13:24:00.000-05:00

The small, white poinsettia I got in December, is still holding on quite nicely in my kitchen. As I was eating my breakfast this morning, I was amused at the juxtaposition of the plant and a Han Solo figurine from Star Wars.

My son had asked me to glue his head back on last night, and after doing so, I placed him upright to dry overnight... next to the poinsettia. Now, it looks like he's protecting the plant! Bring in Chewy and the Millennium Falcon!

Rhododendrons in Winter

2011-01-13T21:58:00.000-05:00

It was cold and windy today. I found myself walking quickly down the street, with my head down and hands tucked deep into the pockets of my coat trying to keep as little of my skin exposed as possible. It made me think of the Rhododendron. In the winter, it's large leaves droop down and curl backward so the soft permeable underside is protected, while the outer, waxy side is exposed to the elements.

What they are doing is called thermotropism. Thermotropic movement is the movement of a plant or plant part in response to changes in temperature. The dry winter air and winds can cause moisture loss from the stomata on the underside of the leaf, so the leaf curls to protect itself. Once you see the Rhododendrons looking like this, you know it's cold!

I look forward to the day when these leaves uncurl because it means warmer weather is here to stay!

New York Botanical Garden Conservatory

2011-01-06T22:48:00.005-05:00

The Conservatory at New York Botanical Garden located just north of New York City in Bronx, NY is the Garden's crown jewel. It's a Victorian-style glasshouse that holds permanent plant exhibits as well as special and seasonal exhibits (like the Holiday Train Show and Orchid Show).

The permanent exhibition is called "A World of Plants" and it showcases tropical rain forests, deserts, aquatic and carnivorous plants. The day I visited, it was so cold outside and as soon as I entered the rain forest area inside the Conservatory, my camera lens completely fogged up!

The lowland rain forest showcases many beautiful tropical plants, epiphytes, trees that provide rain forest canopies and the plants that enjoy life below them.

The upland rain forest showcases ferns, coffee trees, orchids, mosses and others.

In the desert section, plants from the Americas and Africa are on display. I had never seen Agave attenuata in bloom before and wow, it was stunning!

I wandered around the grounds for a bit after spending such a fantastic and exhilarating time inside the Conservatory. I was so happy to run into these lovely pine cone creatures!

It's such a great place any time of year. I can't wait to go back when spring begins to make an appearance and the garden comes alive.

Be sure to head over to Our Little Acre where Kylee is hosting the Conservatory World Tour, and take a virtual tour of some other fantastic conservatories around the country.

Holiday Train Show at NYBG

2010-12-31T11:14:00.000-05:00

The annual Holiday Train show at the New York Botanical Garden is something I look forward to every year. After a stunning walk through the conservatory (which I will post about separately), through the tropical rainforests and desert lands, I walked into the main exhibit room and into a whole other world. Before me were 140 New York City landmark buildings and structures, each constructed entirely of natural materials: nuts, tree bark, fruits, pine cones and leaves.

Model of the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory

Every now and then I would see one of the G-scale model trains going along part of the half mile track in and around one of these buildings or over one of it's bridges.

It's truly amazing that each of these buildings are built entirely of natural materials. The detail on the architecture is incredible, especially knowing it's created from dried plant parts. This is the famous statue on top of Grand Central Terminal train station in New York City:

And this is the Guggenheim Museum:

Here are some of the other structures, each one beautifully surrounded by orchids, cyclamen, kalanchoe, ferns, mosses and other plants:

Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island

Lyndhurst Castle

Rockefeller Center, Empire State Building, Chrysler Building and more

And the new addition this year is the Trans World Airline (TWA) Flight Center at John F. Kennedy Airport. Complete with planes, runway and terminal building:

If you live in the area, you still have time to see the show. It runs through January 9th at the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx. For more information, you can check it out on their website. Also look for a link on that page which provides a "behind the scenes" glance at how they put it all together. It's fascinating and beautiful!

Boxing Day Blizzard

2010-12-28T20:34:00.000-05:00

We got quite a wallop of snow on Sunday! At first, the forcasters were saying only eastern Long Island would get a few inches of snow. But as Christmas Day drew to an end, the news was reporting that all of New York City and Long Island should expect for a blizzard with lots of snow and wind. So all day Sunday, we listened to the howling winds blowing 40+mph and watched the beautiful snow fall, and fall, and fall until we got nearly 2 feet of snow. The storm even blew snow onto the wreath on my front door (and it's covered by a porch!):

But the birds were not deterred. They held onto the feeders through the snow and wind, trying to get something to eat. I was just happy that I remembered to fill them the day before the storm.

And even though the weather outside was frightful, it sure was beautiful to watch the snow coming down. And my kids enjoyed a day in their pjs to play with their new toys!

Christmas at My House

2010-12-22T21:27:00.000-05:00

Christmas is just a three days away. My children are beyond excited for the big day. The house is all decorated and although our live tree is getting rather dry and dropping needles, it still smells divine.

The tree is decorated with ornaments that hold many memories. I've collected many from places I've traveled, but my favorites are these whimsical angels I got at a little store in Heidelberg, Germany.

Each one is so unique and they all seem to have different personalities - the only commonality is a white feather. I just love them.

On my door, I have a pine cone wreath I made a few years ago. I wired each pine cone individually to the metal frame and then added embellishments. It's not the typical evergreen wreath you see everywhere, but I like it.

This year I added a few birds, berries, greens and poinsettia flowers:

And finally, to the left of the door is another arrangement I created using white birch branches, berries and evergreen branches:

So there you have it! All set for Christmas. I feel like we have been decorating and planning for this day for weeks now and it's finally here. Merry Christmas everyone!

December's Hard Frost

2010-12-17T20:27:00.000-05:00

Well, it's finally happened. The night temperatures over the past few days have been hovering between 15-20F and was just too much for my purple Ornamental Kale and orange Violas.

I must say, however, I was rather impressed with how long they lasted. They continued to look great all through November and even early December. But just around the time when I began to think the colors were wrong for Christmas, they simply wilted over and bowed down to the cold.

Since they were spent for the season, I decided to replace them with evergreen cuttings. I filled a similar flower box on my back patio too. And it just happened to snow on them the next day, making for a very pretty sight!

I can see this box from my kitchen window and sliding glass door. It adds a nice bit of greenery to my view in the bleakness of winter.

I filled another container with some of the longer and varied pieces of evergreens and placed it in the corner. I think it looks quite lovely here.

The soil has now frozen around these cuttings, so I hope they hold up for a while!

Topiaries in the Landscape

2010-12-13T13:41:00.000-05:00

I drove by a house in my neighborhood the other day that had these shaped topiaries on their lawn. I had never noticed them before but I thought they looked so cool! I can remember as a kid going to Disney World and being fascinated with the shrubs shaped like Mickey Mouse and other characters. Probably takes a lot to keep it in the proper form and make sure the cuttings don't brown out. Still, I thought these looked so fun!

Check out some more inspiring Topiary Gardens, as compiled on the blog "Surroundings."

A Mossy Terrarium

2010-12-06T22:49:00.000-05:00

Terrariums have lately become a favorite winter activity of mine. I started a few years ago, planting a few plants inside a fish bowl. My son, who was 2 at the time, helped me by placing some toy dinosaurs in it. It looked adorable. Since then, 3 of the 4 plants have died. I assume the conditions for those particular plants just weren't right for them. And then of course, my son wanted his toys back! So now, I'm re-working all my terrariums.

Last week I ordered "terrarium moss" from a website called Moss Acres. Included in the shipment were three types of mosses that apparently grow well in a terrarium: Cushion Moss, Rock Cap Moss and Sheet Moss.

In the fish bowl terrarium, which is not a closed terrarium, I already have an African violet growing and its got new growth, so I'm thinking its happy in there. I also have miniature fern that stands upright, to give the arrangement some dimension, and a small cutting of Wandering Jew (Tradescantia zebrina).

In here, I placed some of the sheet moss. I didn't want to cover all the soil with it, but I placed a good chunk of it off to one side. Here's how it looks:

The other terrarium is closed, meaning I keep the lid on it nearly all the time. Every few days, I will remove the lid to let in some fresh air, but mostly its closed. My sister had given me a decorative golf ball glued to a tee. I thought it might look best nestled among some grass or various mosses. So I arranged all three types of mosses at the base of this container and put the golf ball right in the middle.

Since I had a lot of moss left over, I decided to create an all-over moss terrarium. It's an open container, wider than the fishbowl but with a smaller mouth/opening. Again, I used all three mosses and made a patchwork of sorts. Here it is:

They are looking good so far! The moss was shipped in a box and each piece is completely dried out in a dormant state. All that's required is to put them onto moist soil and water well. Indoors, moss enjoy lots of indirect light (a contrast to their love of the shade when outdoors). Until they get established, I'm trying to raise the humidity by covering the opening of the terrariums, a few hours every day.

I'm hoping the moss will enjoy their new homes and flourish! I find moss fascinating (as you'll remember from my "Beauty of Moss" post a few months ago) and now I can enjoy it indoors during the cold winter months.

Thanksgiving 2010 Centerpiece update

2010-12-01T13:37:00.000-05:00

As an update from my last post on Thanksgiving Centerpieces, I thought I'd show a photo of what I ended up doing this year. At first, I thought of carving a pumpkin and using that as the vase/container. I was going to fill it with flowers, berries and foliage. But my time seemed to disappear like ice on hot day. And so in the end, I decided to go the simple, seasonal route:

I cut some branches filled with colorful leaves from a Bradford Pear tree. The leaves were so pretty and glossy, they almost looked fake. In fact, a few of my guests didn't believe me when I told them they were real!

So even though it wasn't an elaborate centerpiece, I was still happy with my creation. The colors of the leaves alone were stunning. Sometimes, simple can be elegant.

I think for Christmas this year, I'm going to ask Santa for more hours in my day... :)

Thanksgiving Centerpieces

2010-11-23T14:31:00.000-05:00

Aside from gardening, I also really enjoy floral design. Unfortunately, I don't always find the time to create even simple ones at home. So holidays and birthdays are some of the few times a year I can actually focus on creating a unique floral design or centerpiece. This Thanksgiving I've started gathering ideas on what to do - I'll post again when I am finished.

But in the meantime, here are a few of the creations I've done in the past for Thanksgiving:

This one is my favorite and I'm tempted to do something similar this year since I still have a few pumpkins left over from Halloween. This arrangement is sitting on a cake stand and I love how the pumpkin sits in the middle of the ring of flowers and foliage.

The colors and the painted design on the container, along with it's elevated cup, provided the inspiration for this design.

This was my first design a few years ago. Again, the container gave me the inspiration. I remember having purchased a bunch more vegetables to put in there, but by the time I was finished with the flowers and greens, I only had room for one artichoke!

So now, I'm off to my closet to take a look at what containers I have available to use this year. Oh and if you see any cool designs, please let me know!

Grasses: The Wispy and Whimsical

2010-11-19T09:22:00.000-05:00

It's been really windy here the past few days. Sadly, the wind brought down even more leaves. With the drop of the leaves, the grasses seem to be taking center stage around here now.

I've always been on the fence about grasses. Maybe its because I see too many people use them in the wrong places. They get overgrown and look like giant shrubs in the middle of a garden. But on the other hand, I really do think they are quite beautiful and so unique in their own way.

This time of year they really seem to pop out of the landscape and can add a wispy, whimsical beauty to a garden (when placed right!). Above is the beautifully striped Zebra Grass (Miscanthus sinensis).

And of course I love the seeds. Each grass has certain similarities and differences which make them really fun to behold up close.

I find the black fountain grass (Pennisetum alopecuroids 'Moudry') particularly striking. The seeds/blooms look like an animal's furry tail.

What are your thoughts on grasses? Do you have a favorite for the garden?

November Neighborhood Walk

2010-11-13T06:00:00.002-05:00

I took a little walk around the neighborhood the other day. It's been in the upper 40s and low 50s and the air is quite brisk. But the colors are gorgeous and everywhere you look there are berries and seed pods bursting on the branches.

This tree is glowing yellow in the afternoon sun.

Even weedy vines have gorgeous fall foliage!

These gorgeous flowers look perfect in front of this porch.

The sunny flowers and the wispy ornamental grass are a perfect compliment to each other.

The seeds pods here have yellowed like its leaves below.

Gorgeous!

Bittersweet

2010-11-11T06:00:00.000-05:00

"It's bittersweet, more sweet than bitter, bitter than sweet"

Those are the lyrics to the 1993 song "Bittersweet" by Big Head Todd and the Monsters. I find myself unconsciously singing this song every time I come across this vine full of it's berries. Yes, it is invasive, but this time of year, the plant can't be beat for autumn splendor. The foliage is a golden yellow and the orange seed pods break open to reveal a red berry inside.

This highly invasive vine is Celastrus orbiculatus, or Oriental Bittersweet vine. It has been known to strangle host plants by twining itself over and around anything it comes in contact with. Not something you'd want growing in your backyard, but I think it can be appreciated in a natural setting or along the fence on the side of the road.

This bittersweet vine should not be confused with the native, non-invasive American bittersweet vine. One way to distinguish the two is to look at the berries. The berries of American bittersweet plants appear at the tips of the vines only, while those of Oriental bittersweet vines grow along the length of the vine.

All parts of the plant are poisonous to humans, but birds do enjoy the berries. I've used this vine in floral arrangements and holiday decor - perfect for this time of year. I remove the leaves and enjoy the flexible stems, heavily laden with berries. The hard orange cups break open but often remain attached to the red berry inside so the combination of colors, along with the usual abundance of berries along the stem really is quite stunning!

High Line park, NYC (take 2)

2010-11-08T06:00:00.000-05:00

My husband and I celebrated our anniversary in New York City this year. It was such a treat to get away and do something special together. After telling him all about my visit to the High Line park in September, he was eager to see it for himself. (Read about my first visit and some general information about this unique park here). I found it just as appealing and intriguing as before, but this time there were so different things in bloom and of course, more fall foliage colors to admire. Have a look:

Autumn Crocus (Colchicum autumnale) in full bloom among the train tracks

Beautiful purple Asters nestled in the tall grasses

This plant is so pretty, but I actually don't know what it is. Anyone recognize it?

Plantings growing along the lines of the old railway tracks go under this building.

Above and below, autumn has descended upon New York City. Asters, Hydrangeas, Rhus typhina (Staghorn Sumac) and more show off their late season beauty.

It's such a very cool spot along the west side of New York City. I can't wait to go back and admire how it changes from season to season. If you are in the neighborhood, I highly recommend it.

Attack of the squirrel!

2010-11-06T06:00:00.000-04:00

My sweet little Jack-o-lantern has met his fate. He came into this world full of smiles and twinkling triangle eyes.

But no sooner had he been placed outside to get some fresh air, then Mr. Squirrel came to visit and did some damage indeed. Within an hour, I noticed teeth marks above his eye and a missing bottom tooth.

The next day, even more teeth were missing and most of his eye:

Two days later, this is what he's become:

Now, I know pumpkins are good food for squirrels and after Halloween, I usually throw them into the woods for them to enjoy. But this squirrel didn't even give my Jack-o-lantern a fighting chance! Oh well - I guess when you are hungry, you're hungry. And Mr. Squirrel probably doesn't celebrate Halloween anyway.

Lady Blue Salvia

2010-11-04T08:44:00.000-04:00

Dear Miss Blue,
Thank you so much for making a late season appearance in my garden. I thought you had moved on for good once the weather turned cooler, but your return certainly brought a smile to my face. Hope to see you again soon.
Signed, me.

The Day of the Dead

2010-11-02T06:00:00.000-04:00

On November 1 and 2, Mexico celebrates the Day of the Dead, or El Día de los Muertos. While one may think this is a time for grief and sadness, in fact, it is a time when Mexicans happily and lovingly remember their loved relatives that have died.

Looking around the garden today, I'm feeling very much the same way. Many of my beloved plants have died for the season (or at least gone dormant). The vivaciousness of their lives a few months ago is now replaced with skeletons of what they once were. And yet, I do think there is still beauty to be seen:

Seed pods of Rose Campion (Lychnis coronaria) nestled amongst

Black Fountain Grass (Pennisetum alopecuroides 'Moudry')

Seed pods of Abelia shrub (above and below)

Seed heads of Black-Eyed Susan (Rubeckia goldsturm)

Brown and dry Hydrangeas

Fading Montauk Daisy (Nipponanthemum nipponicum)

These plants may be gone for the season, but certainly not forgotten. Spring will be here before we know it. And we'll be able to enjoy them in their glory all over again.

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T06:00:00.013-04:00

Jack-o-lanterns, bats, ghosts and goblins... Halloween is here! Nothing says Halloween to me like the color orange. Somehow this vibrant color maintains its vigor throughout the entire month of October - like the last rays of sun from summer. By November, the days are shorter, the tree foliage is nearly gone and everything begins to look more brown.

So in honor of the last day of October and Halloween, I went on a quest around the neighborhood to find all things orange:

Orange Viola flowers

Orange Pyracantha berries

Orange Gerbera Daisy flowers

Orange Bittersweet berries

Orange-yellow Gourds

And of course, what would Halloween be without a cheery Jack-o-Lantern to wish everyone a very Happy Halloween!

For more Halloween fun, be sure to check out my other spooky Halloween post on some very ghoulish plants. Mwahahahah!

Juniper Berries

2010-10-28T10:03:00.000-04:00

I love this time of year mainly because of the changing colors of the leaves, but also because the berries of so many shrubs and other woody plants become more prominent.

Here are some beautiful Juniper berries:

The berries of this Juniper are a waxy, blue color and cluster closely together. I think the blue is so striking against the green of the needle-like/scale-like leaves.

Actually, the berries on Junipers are not actually berries at all. They are cones, growing only on the female plants. Junipers are dioecious, which means that individual plants are either male or female (unlike most other plants where male and female parts exist on the same plant). So the female juniper plants produce the berries (cones) and the male plants produce the pollen.

Various types of junipers have different uses:
The spicy-smelling berries of Juniperus communis (Common juniper) are the predominant flavor in Gin.
The fragrant wood of Juniperus virginiana (Eastern Red Cedar) is used for cabinets, fences and pencils.
The wood of Juniperus phoenicea (Mediterranean Phoenician juniper) is burned as incense.
(Encyclopedia Britannica)

I found a recipe for making Gin on ehow.com. It calls for 10g of juniper berries (that's about 1/4lb) - which is a lot of berries! I'm not sure this little shrub will produce that many... nor that I would want to even distill my own either. But I think it's still a pretty cool fact!

What's Blooming Now

2010-10-21T10:51:00.000-04:00

Walking around the yard yesterday I noticed quite a few things are still blooming. Here on Long Island, the night temperatures are hovering around the upper 40s and the day temperatures are in the low 60s. Definitely feels like fall outside!

The Coleus is starting to lose its bottom leaves, but this variety is holding on to the upper part of the stem very nicely. I love the rich brown in the middle of the green leaf.

Amazingly these Impatiens still look great. The leaves are starting to yellow, but they continue to flower and make me smile.

The red Begonias look completely at home in the fall landscape. The red flowers with the reddish-brown stem and darker leaves look appropriate for this time of year.

I have a natural wooded area along the south side of the house. It is very pretty this time of year with the Goldenrod and wild Aster flowers blooming.

In the flower box on the front porch, I recently planted purple Ornamental Kale and some sweet orange colored Violas. I love the contrasting colors.

The yellow Lantana is still blooming nicely in the hanging container on the front porch. It's doing amazingly well considering its not getting full sun anymore.

I've freshened up the front containers with fall plants such as Mums, Pansy and Ornamental Peppers. This container also shows the lime-green Coleus and the Euphorbia "Diamond Frost"still doing well.

These Geraniums were the best thing I bought this year. The vibrant pink with the lush green leaves were gorgeous no matter where I moved this container. And they are still looking great in mid-October!

The New Guinea Impatiens didn't really do much this year. Maybe they didn't get enough sun. However, I'm enjoying their lush foliage for now. Especially when everything else is dropping their leaves.

Garden Visitor Update

2010-10-20T12:15:00.000-04:00

Thanks to everyone who posted with suggestions on what the creature might be. I found another one yesterday. It was smaller and hiding under a log. Seems to have a brown stripe down the back of it. Anyone recognize it?

A visitor in the garden

2010-10-16T19:57:00.000-04:00

I was in the yard the other day and looked down on the soil to see something moving. At first I thought it was just an earthworm, but then I noticed little arms and feet as it crawled along the ground.

I think I've got a Newt here. What do you think?

I've never seen one in the garden here and frankly, I haven't seen it since. I did find it after it had rained for several days, so maybe the wet conditions attracted him to my yard. Or maybe he just wanted to play on the kids' playground by himself!

Rose Hips

2010-10-14T13:07:00.000-04:00

Now that summer is over and the blooms are mostly all faded here in on Long Island, its time to look for the natural beauty elsewhere. I found it the other day in rose hips.

Rose hips are the fruit of the rose bush after the bloom has died. Most people cut off spent flowers and therefore don't ever get to see the rose hips, but when left untouched, the rose bush can turn into a real beauty late in the season.

Apparently the tastiest rose hips come from the Rugosa Rose. And I read online that rose hips have a tangy, fruity flavor similar to that of cranberries. The fruits are best harvested after the first frost, which makes them turn bright red and slightly soft.

I have had rose hip tea and found it to be fruity and pleasant but have never eaten them in any form (jams or sauces). Have you? What do you think?

Personally, I'm just glad my neighbor didn't prune his rose bushes this year so I could enjoy the gorgeous hips that have formed. Thanks neighbor!

Chirp Chirp Cricket

2010-10-05T21:10:00.000-04:00

It sounds almost romantic...chirping crickets on a warm summer evening. Well maybe in that context it is a beautiful sound, but how about one lone cricket chirping away every night... in the garage attached to your house? It's been raining here for about three days straight and two nights ago I started to hear the chirping. At first I thought it was just a lone cricket outside in the garden. But after some investigating, following the sounds, it lead me to the garage. For two days now I can hear it, but I can't find it. It's starting to drive me nuts.

We have seen lots of camel crickets in the basement and garage over the years. But these crickets don't make noise. They just jump really high!


Photo from the Flickr stream of AlbinoFlea.

So it's not Mr. Jumpy Cricket in my garage. I believe it to be Mr. Chirpy Cricket, aka the House Cricket.


Photo from http://www.activepestcontrol.com

Now I don't know what this little guy is chirping about - if its trying to communicate or it if just wants to remind me that he's in the garage. A reminder he likes to give me every. bleepin. second. !

I do hope the sun makes an appearance tomorrow. Everything in the garden needs to dry out a little.